


Having Someone

by IncendiaGlacies



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Gideon needs some soul searching, RipFic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:56:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: “Humans need companionship. For their happiness, Captain,” Gideon repeated, “I would like for you to be happy.”“Gideon, I appreciate your concern and your strange attempts to play matchmaker for me,” Rip frowned at the thought, “But I do have someone, thank you very much.”Gideon makes observations on human behaviour, has misconceptions on human nature, and comes to incorrect conclusions on her Captain’s feelings.





	Having Someone

**Author's Note:**

> Not particularly happy with this fic, but it's written

“You know, the rest of the Legends are out enjoying themselves. Perhaps you would like to join them, Director Hunter?”

Rip spared a glance at the ceiling before turning back to his book, “No, Gideon. I’m perfectly alright here. I much prefer a quiet night in than dealing with their chaos anyways.”

“You missed it,” Gideon teased. Otherwise, he never would have come back to the Legends fulltime. Even if he had used the excuse of needing to help them defeat the latest great evil that threatened time, he stayed even after that.

Rip let a small smile grace his face, “Maybe a little. Don’t tell them that, their egos will inflate even more.”

“Of course not,” Gideon assured. After a beat, she couldn’t help but ask, “Did you miss me?”

“Of course I missed you,” Rip answered nonchalantly as he flipped a page, “I missed you most of all. You already know that though.” Coming back to the Legends had been one thing, coming back to Gideon had been a whole other thing. They had spent far too many nights hashing out everything that had happened over the past few years. How Rip had left the Waverider and Gideon. How he allowed the Legends to take her again. It had been one of the few times Rip had heard the sadness in his friend’s voice, and he felt all the more guilty for being the one who caused it. Still, they may have been on shaky ground but they were moving forward.

Gideon watched her Captain (because he would always be her Captain even if she didn’t address him as such anymore) sitting alone in his study. It was a sight she had grown used to over their many years together. But she also remembered times when his family would surround him. Little Jonas crawling across the floor while Rip lay on the floor next to him, while Miranda laughed at the two of them. Those were happy times. Gideon couldn’t help but notice, even with the five years apart, her Captain still wasn’t as happy as he used to be.

“Have you considered a hobby?” Gideon asked.

“Excuse me?” Rip frowned as he looked to where Gideon’s avatar would normally appear. Gideon activated her avatar without needing any words from him.

“Perhaps it would help to have a hobby? Baking? Or perhaps learning to cross stitch. It could be very relaxing,” Gideon proposed.

Rip quirked his lips at her and raised his book, “Reading counts as a hobby.”

“You’re reading for work. That doesn’t count as a hobby.”

“Why would I need a hobby anyways?” Rip asked.

“Humans usually require some sort of mindless entertainment to keep their spirits up. I imagine that’s why Netflix was created,” Gideon remarked.

“Yes, I suppose so. But my spirits are perfectly fine, Gideon. Where is this coming from?” Rip asked.

“You chose to sit here alone rather than be with your friends tonight.”

“I like the quiet,” Rip repeated, “And I’m not alone. I have you.”

“You need someone who’s real,” Gideon corrected. She dismissed the frown on her Captain’s face and continued, “Have you considered a pet?”

“For the last time, we are not getting any more animals! The rat is enough! I still can’t believe you let them keep it,” Rip huffed.

“What about a cat? They’re independent and rather well-behaved,” Gideon offered.

“Ray is allergic to cats. And dogs. We’re not getting another pet, Gideon.”

“Humans require companionship, Captain,” Gideon let the old endearment slip through. Perhaps her code needed checking.

Rip smiled at the old title, “I’m fine, Gideon. You’re worrying needlessly.”

“It’s been over five years since you lost Miranda and Jonas,” Gideon started softly.

Rip’s hand stilled on the page, “I know. Jonas would be nearly all grown. I have come to terms with their deaths, Gideon. I have.”

“Well then perhaps you would consider another relationship.”

“What?” Rip’s eyes widened in confusion.

“If you are no longer grieving-”

“There is no time limit on grieving,” Rip hissed as he stood from his seat and started pacing. “And even then, there is no rule that says I need to dive back into a relationship!”

“Humans need companionship. For their happiness, Captain,” Gideon repeated. Belatedly she tried another approach, “I would like for you to be happy.”

Rip’s eyes soften at her avatar, his hands coming to his hips, “I am happy, Gideon. I have been for a while. It will never be the same, but I’ve come to terms with that and I’m doing the best I can.”

“Well perhaps a relationship would-”

“Gideon, I appreciate your concern and your strange attempts to play matchmaker for me,” Rip frowned at the thought, “But I do have someone, thank you very much.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“Who?” Gideon demanded.

Rip looked flustered suddenly as he cleared his throat before speaking, “Well, I mean it’s not like it’s official. And not even necessarily romantic – I mean it doesn’t have to be. I’ve just always thought that-”

“Rip!” Ray bounded into the study, “There’s an anachronism out there. Genghis Khan! We gotta deal with it!” Rip nodded once before asking Gideon to run the necessary algorithms. She directed most of her core power towards helping the Legends deal with their latest mission, meaning Gideon had no time to return to the conversation with her Captain.

But the words stayed with her – who exactly did her Captain have?

 

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks Gideon took her time to collect data on her Captain. He may not have wanted her help but clearly, he needed it. Besides, it was her primary duty to assure the safety and happiness of her Captain. She had to make sure this someone was good enough for her Captain. Therefore, she took her time documenting whom he spent most of his time with, whom he laughed the most with. It didn’t help that he normally favored to stay alone with only Gideon to talk to. How would he make any progress in his so-called relationship if he didn’t spend more time with people?

But today fared to be a more interesting day.

“Gideon? How are her vitals?” Rip yelled at the ceiling.

“Slowly rising. I am afraid she has lost a lot of blood though. It will take a while for her to recover to full strength,” Gideon answered. Her systems were currently checking Sara’s vitals and administering the proper medicines through the IV while also flying the ship into the temporal zone. Sometimes she didn’t think anyone understood just how much multitasking she had to do even without having to process through all the data they always gave her.

“Come on, Sara,” Rip whispered as he brushed her hair out of her face, “You can pull through this. I know you can.” He squeezed her hand before taking a seat next to her bedside. For the rest of the day the Legends shifted in and out by Sara’s bedside, eager for any change. Rip stayed there the entire day.

“Perhaps some sleep will help your own stress levels, Director,” Gideon suggested.

“No, Gideon. I’m perfectly fine. Besides, I need to be here when she wakes up,” Rip dismissed her worries.

“You anxiety and worriedness will not help her heal faster,” Gideon berated him sharply.

Rip raised his eyes to the ceiling, “Of course I’m worried, Gideon. It’s my fault she’s here anyways.”

“You always take everything to be your fault?” Rip looked down at the groggy voice and saw Sara barely keeping her eyes open as she faced him.

“Not everything. I let you all take partial blame for breaking time,” Rip said somewhat ashamed.

“Yeah, we were mad about that. At least you got your head out of your ass,” Sara gave a small smile.

“I’m so sorry, Sara,” Rip apologized.

“Don’t start, Rip,” Sara chastised him, “Nobody likes a martyr.”

“Yes, but if I hadn’t-”

“Don’t. That’s an order,” Sara commanded, the shadow of a smirk on her face.

Rip gave her a wry smile, “Very well, Captain. How do you feel? Do you need more pain medication?”

“Some drugs would be nice,” Sara agreed, “Gideon?”

“Right away, Captain Lance,” Gideon started the release of pain medication, “You will feel slightly drowsy.”

“Oh yay, more sleep,” Sara responded sarcastically.

Rip smoothed back a stray hair. Seeing the strange look he got, he quickly removed his hand, “Sorry. Get some sleep. I’ll stay here.”

“No, you look horrible. You should get some sleep too. Send someone else if you’re that worried about me,” Sara told him.

“No, don’t be silly. I don’t need to-”

“Gideon? Could you please send Jax to look after me? And make sure Rip gets some sleep?” Sara asked her.

“Of course, Captain Lance,” Gideon agreed. She sensed Jax in the engine room and asked him to keep Sara company; immediately Jax stopped working to do as he was told. “He’s on his way. You should get some sleep too, Director. It’s been a long day.”

“See Rip? You’ve even got Gideon worried. Get some sleep,” Sara demanded him, her voice was lighthearted. Almost teasing if Gideon had to describe it. Rip shot her a look (the one the Legends had dubbed the ‘Dad Look’) but let her be once Jax came in to stay with Sara.

By the time Rip had reached his quarters, Gideon had to ask, “Would you like me to fabricate roses?”

“I – excuse me?” Rip paused in unbuttoning his jacket.

“For Ms. Lance,” Gideon clarified, “Flowers are a very appropriate gesture to demonstrate your feelings for her.”

“And what feelings would that be?” Rip asked amused by his AI’s intentions.

“I am merely commenting on the fact that you were very worried about her.”

“Yes, I would be worried about anyone that was that badly injured,” Rip explained.

“You also let her take charge of the Legends and the Waverider. You respect her decisions,” Gideon continued.

“Yes, it makes for a better working relationship,” Rip agreed, “How does this lead to me giving her flowers? More specifically roses?”

“Red roses are symbolic for romantic love in the twenty first century,” Gideon explained. She couldn’t fault him for not having complete knowledge of the entire history of time.

“Yes, I’m aware. How did this turn into me wanting a romance with Sara?” Rip asked again.

“You said you have someone,” Gideon reminded him softly. Rip frowned trying to remember what she was talking about. “And you worry about her, and call her Captain-”

“So do you. Are you trying to tell me you have hidden feelings for her?” Rip teased her.

“There is no reason to hide your feelings behind thinly veiled humor. It’s perfectly alright if you-”

“I don’t. And I don’t know why you would even think about something as insane as me-”

“She asked you to stay,” Gideon interrupted. Once again it was that pesky flaw in her code that must have allowed those words through before fully processing. “And you did. For her.”

Rip sighed as he sat on his bed and dragged his hands over his face. “Gideon, we’ve talked about this. I’m sorry, I really am for leaving you in the first place. And for not staying when you asked. I couldn’t then, I thought the Legends could handle it and you seemed perfectly fine being with them. Hardly even missed me.”

“I did,” Gideon admitted.

“And I missed you. I am not interested in Sara that way. She is a good friend, and I respect her judgement and trust her with the Legends. But I have no romantically inclined feelings for her. And I hope you will believe me when I say that,” his tone was earnest as he spoke.

“Very well, Captain,” Gideon used the title as an apology for her previous behavior.

A smile graced her Captain’s face, “Thank you. And I didn’t just come home because Sara told me to. I came home for all of you.”

 

* * *

 

After the thoughts of Ms. Lance were put to rest, Gideon decided to pay closer attention. If not Sara, then who had managed to capture her Captain’s heart? It wasn’t until they travelled to the Wild West again that Gideon supposed there might be another plausible suitor. One with whom her Captain had much history with.

“You sure you don’t want to stick around longer?” Jonah asked again.

“I can’t unfortunately,” Rip sighed. He exchanged a look with Sara who nodded once to give the two some privacy. “I have to-”

“Go save time and the world with that ragtag group of yours,” Jonah nodded.

“They mean well,” Rip admitted. At least their hearts were in the right place. It just took him longer to realize that they really did need a babysitter onboard with them at all times. And sadly, Gideon and regular check-ins from Ava were not enough. But he didn’t regret his decision.

“Yeah, and you never stick around in one place long enough. Can’t stand still for two seconds, can you?” Jonah teased.

“No, I supposed I can’t,” Rip looked down at his shoes. Many times he had wondered what would have happened if he had chosen to settle down with Miranda. Live the peaceful life with his family. But Jonah always knew him well, he wasn’t meant for that life. Not in the slightest.

“Well, I suppose it was good seeing you again. Stop by some more, if you’re allowed to,” Jonah offered.

“Of course,” Rip grasped his friends hand and patted him on the shoulder, “Thank you again. For everything.”

Gideon watched the exchange patiently, noticing how Rip leaned in closer than needed to talk to Jonah. How he was more tactile with his old friend. She knew he always enjoyed hugs from his mother, and loved them from Miranda and Jonas. It annoyed her that she could never offer the same sort of comfort. But Jonah was there, and he brought out something in Rip that Gideon hadn’t seen in a long time. He even wore his old coat again.

But even then, Gideon had her reservations. It had been a long time since Captain Hunter had seen Mr. Hex. Humans were prone to nostalgia and reminiscing in the ‘good times’. It could be possible that he was heading into something wholly unprepared. After all, what would happen if they rehashed Calvert? Or when Rip had to ultimately leave again? The first time had been hard enough to witness, she had only just gotten her Captain to listen with mentions of Miranda. Now, he had nothing to bring him back.

“Captain?” Gideon began when he was alone in the privacy of his own quarters.

“What’s wrong, Gideon?” Rip asked.

“Why would you assume something is wrong?”

“You’re calling me, Captain,” Rip turned to face the avatar Gideon had brought up, “So tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong, Director Hunter,” Gideon corrected herself. She would have to be more mindful of these slipups, “I merely wanted to converse.”

“About?”

“Regarding your relationship with Mr. Hex. Perhaps it would be better to not take it any further,” Gideon suggested.

“You want me to stop being friends with Jonah?” Rip raised an eyebrow at her. He crossed his arms, the poster child for defiance.

“Being friends is alright. I worry what would happen if you took your relationship further than that,” Gideon explained.

“Further how?” his tone acerbic as he spoke.

“I am merely stating that the two of you seem rather close. It is perfectly fine if you were to have romantic inclinations for another male. I know-”

“Gideon, stop!” Rip rubbed his temples, “I don’t – that’s not – look, I know it’s fine. But Jonah is my friend. Only my friend.”

“The two of you seemed rather close. And you are not tactile with the rest of the team,” Gideon said.

“The rest of the team hasn’t known me for as long as Jonah has. If I’m closer with him, it’s because he’s a good friend. Nothing more.”

“Most humans exchange clothing as a form of gift and possession when they are intimate. You wear his coat,” Gideon explained softly.

“I stole his coat,” Rip reminded her, “And I wear it because I like it, not because I’m in love with Jonah.”

“You hardly ever wear it any more, yet you did for him.”

“I wore it today because we were going to the Wild West, I always dress for the time period we’re going to, Gideon. You know this,” Rip frowned at her.

“Yes, but what about-”

“What has gotten into you lately?” Rip demanded.

“Are you suggesting my systems need virus scans?” Gideon sassed, “I will have you know all scans indicate everything is updated normally and I am virus free.”

“Well then drop the subject. Jonah is a friend, only a friend. I’m allowed to have friends for companionship, aren’t I?”

“Of course, Director Hunter. I apologize.”

And that was the end of that theory.

 

* * *

 

After the latest misunderstanding, the Legends were on nonstop missions to fix the anachronisms they caused. With Rip’s help, they made minimal mistakes and fixed most of the anachronisms on the first try. Gideon always enjoyed the smugness in her voice when she reported in to the Bureau. Had she been human, she was sure they would refer to this as her being ‘maternal’. As if asking them to clean up after themselves made Gideon their mother. Still, the Legends were doing a good job in protecting the timeline, not that it stopped Agent Sharpe from checking in continuously.

When her Captain had returned to the Legends, Gideon had assumed this meant the regular checkups from Agent Sharpe would end. Unfortunately, her calculations on that outcome had been off the mark. Instead of Agent Sharpe constantly entering her ship to berate the Legends, she would come onboard to talk to the Director. When Captain Hunter had decided to work fulltime with the Legends, he left Agent Sharpe in charge in his absence. Gideon felt there were more suitable options: like Gary.

It didn’t escape her notice how close her Captain was with Agent Sharpe. How he leaned in to talk with her, how she called him ‘Sir’. (He hated being called Sir, he had told Gideon so himself.) It made sense though, they had spent five years together, they had built a sense of comradery at this point. It was something even the Legends didn’t have with Rip, only Gideon did.

She could understand why Rip would choose Agent Sharpe. Humans were used to familiarity; they had a certain ‘type’. Miranda had always been adventurous, a certain spark to her which her Captain clearly enjoyed. A trait that Agent Sharpe shared. But the main difference was that Agent Sharpe was a stickler for rules, Miranda knew some things were more important. Surely, her Captain would have better taste than Agent Sharpe?

But Gideon couldn’t deny there was a certain ease in their relationship. How he actually managed to joke with her and she would give a small smile back. The Legends never found Rip funny, Gideon rather enjoyed his sense of humor. And Agent Sharpe respected his thoughts and ideas, which was more than could be said for how she treated Sara. Those two were always at odds and put Rip in the middle. Overall, Gideon deduced that there was no probably cause to dislike Agent Sharpe. Captain Hunter and Agent Sharpe shared a common goal and outlook in life. If this was whom he was smitten with, what could Gideon do to stop it?

Except it seemed Agent Sharpe didn’t return her Captain’s affections. Otherwise, she was just practicing kissing with Ms. Lance. Which could very well be possible; humans always craved perfection. Which was silly because they would never attain it. Still they didn’t have to practice everything. Like going to Sara’s private quarters and – Gideon shut down her sensors and cameras in that area. There were some things even she didn’t want to be aware of. Including how Ms. Lance and Agent Sharpe seemed to vent their frustrations with each other. Perhaps their affections for each were truly genuine. But now she would have to be the one to tell her Captain and break his heart.

“Captain, I think we need to talk,” Gideon broke his solitude of his study.

Rip merely flipped the page in his book, not even glancing up as he spoke, “Gideon, do you realize every time you call me Captain you usually have some sort of bad news for me?”

“Would you rather I call you Director at all times?”

“No,” he quirked a smile, “I like being called Captain. Makes me feel wanted. Now, what did you want to talk about?” Rip shut the book and gave her his full attention. Gideon engaged her avatar to return the gesture.

“Perhaps it would be best if you weren’t drinking alcohol as I told you this?”

Rip glanced at the glass of scotch on his side table and back at Gideon. “Whatever it is, it’s not a big deal. We already broke time; I can’t see how much worse it could get. And I don’t self-medicate with alcohol anymore, I already told you that.”

“Please?” Gideon urged, changing the tones of softness in her voice.

Rip furrowed his brow at her insistence but dumped out the alcohol as she requested. More to prove a point than because she asked. When he sat back down he demanded, “Alright, now what’s wrong?”

Gideon took the proper time to process the correct words in the right order. Words that would be succinct yet detailed as well as empathetic to his plight. Perhaps she should have spent more time processing.

“Ms. Lance and Agent Sharpe are sleeping together.” She really needed to check her coding. Clearly, something was wrong. Maybe Mr. Jackson had gotten some of her wires crossed in the last tune-up.

Rip blinked, “What?”

“I was trying to be gentle, I know how sensitive you can be,” her Captain’s face coloured red at that, “Perhaps using twenty first century colloquialisms was not the best idea. What I meant was Ms. Lance and Agent Sharpe are currently engaging in sexu-”

“Gideon!” Rip yelled, “I understood the first time. You really don’t have to spell it out for me.” Rip sighed and dragged his hands over his face. Gideon waited a few moments to allow him to absorb the shock of the news.

“Will you be alright?” Gideon asked softly, so as not to startle him. Research showed that young animals responded better to a calm and soothing tone. Gideon deduced the same tactic would work similarly on heartbroken humans.

“Why would I not be alright?” Rip looked up at her in confusion. Her programming from the Time Master included an introduction on the five stages of dealing with grief. The first being denial. Her Captain was putting on a very brave face.

Still, just to be sure, “Did you not hear what I said?” It was also possible he needed a trip to the medbay and a full sensory test conducted.

“Of course I heard what you said, it’s rather hard to dismiss something that…graphic,” Rip muttered.

“If you would like to talk about it,” Gideon offered tentatively.

“I’d really rather not discuss what happens in their personal lives actually,” Rip suppressed a shudder, “Besides, when have you ever cared? You were never this interested in Ray and Kendra.”

“I didn’t have to worry about either of them breaking your heart with their actions,” Gideon spoke sharply. How could they do this to her Captain?

“Breaking my heart?” Rip asked incredulously, “Gideon, I already told you. I have no feelings for Sara in that way!”

“I was not referring to Ms. Lance but to Agent Sharpe.” Gideon would have to control the voicing some more, Agent Sharpe’s name sounded almost like a hiss.

“Ava? How did you get to that conclusion?” Rip asked, almost dreading the answer.

“You are extremely close to her-”

“You have to stop thinking I’m in love with everyone I seem close to,” Rip berated her.

Gideon continued anyways, “You let her come onboard all the time and take over whatever missions she wants and order me around like, like I’m hers! And you left the Bureau under her command. You trust her judgement. You used to only trust mine.”

Rip felt a small grin on his face, “Gideon, are you jealous?”

The word must have triggered something in her code, “Of what? Nothing to be jealous of!”

Rip shrugged easily and shoved his hands in his pockets as he teased her, “Oh I don’t know. I’m just saying, you’ve never particularly liked her. And you’ve always had this tone of voice with her, and you’ve never shied away from your opinions of her with me. Are you sure you’re not the tiniest bit jealous?”

“Perfectly sure,” Gideon responded coolly, “This has nothing to do with how I treat Agent Sharpe. If you feel it necessary you are more than welcome to take the required steps to-”

“I am not touching your code!” Rip snapped, “You’re perfectly welcome to disagree with me. It’s what I like about you, remember?”

“Of course, Director.”

Rip sighed as he looked down, clearly the heart to heart was over. “For the record, I’m not heartbroken over Ava. I’m not interested in her in the slightest. If she and Sara are together, or even if they’re not, good for them. As long as it doesn’t interfere with the work we do, it’s perfectly alright.”

“Very well.”

“Are you alright?” Rip asked, worried he might have teased too much.

“Perfectly fine,” Gideon responded before turning off her avatar.

“Gideon?” Rip spoke aloud to the seemingly empty room, “Also for the record, you’ll always be my favourite.”

“Noted,” Gideon paused, “Captain.”

 

* * *

 

“Captain, I would like to-”

“Gideon! No!” Rip yelled. Although the pillow he smothered his face in, after collapsing on the bed, muffled most of his voice.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say!”

“Gideon, for the past few months every time you have started a sentence with ‘Captain’ it has usually led to some insane theory on my non-existent love life,” Rip lectured her, “Enough already. It’s been an extremely long day and I just want to sleep now.”

“I merely wanted to-”

“Oh for heavens sake!” Rip snapped as he sat up and leaned against the headboard. He crossed his arms as he glared at the ceiling, “What is it? Or rather, who is it this time?”

“I was merely pointing out Mr. Constantine seemed to show a certain affection for you this past mission,” Gideon responded testily.

“No. No. No! Absolutely not! He’s not even my type and far too forward,” Rip detailed.

“He was flirting rather heavily with you,” Gideon enlightened him. She had recorded what flirting looked like from observing Ray and Jax pining over Kendra’s affections. As well as the strange ritual Sara and Agent Sharpe seemed to have. There always seemed to be compliments and a fair amount of teasing involved (and in Sara and Agent Sharpe’s case a fair amount of sparring).

“He’s Constantine. He flirts with everyone!” Rip retorted.

“You didn’t stop him.”

“He flirted with you too, you hardly stopped him either,” Rip accused, his voice inexplicably bitter.

Gideon ran the data on her previous interactions with Mr. Constantine and cross-referenced it with the previous knowledge she had gained through her observations. “I didn’t realize.”

“Clearly,” Rip remarked bitterly, “Point is, I’m not interested. Are you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Nothing could ever happen between a human and an AI,” Gideon responded tonelessly.

“Why not?” Rip demanded.

“The idea is absurd. Don’t joke about it, Captain,” Gideon lectured him.

“Fine,” Rip accepted with a sigh, “Does this mean you’re done then?”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you seem to be obsessed with the idea of me falling in love with someone! What has gotten into you? Do I need to tell Jax to take a look at your systems?”

“My systems are working perfectly fine, thank you very much,” Gideon informed him, “I am merely concerned for your wellbeing. As I have always been, it’s how I’ve been programmed.”

“Oh thanks dear, nice to know you care so much,” Rip said sarcastically, “What does questioning my relationship with every person I cross paths with have to do with my wellbeing?”

“You said you had someone,” Gideon reminded him softly.

“Gideon, that was ages ago,” Rip matched her quiet tone.

“Do you not feel the same for this person anymore?” Gideon questioned.

Rip played with the blanket that covered him, “I do.”

“Well you could do better,” Gideon decided.

“No, I couldn’t,” Rip shook his head, “Why would you even think such a thing?”

“Clearly they have no concern for your wellbeing or your happiness! You deserve the best, and clearly this ‘someone’ isn’t it,” Gideon spoke with disdain. Her Captain was always alone, this someone could at least offer more companionship.

“Does it occur to you that I don’t need to be in a romantic relationship? I have the Legends and the Bureau for my companionship,” Rip reminded her.

“Everyone needs someone special. Someone with whom they can talk to. You used to have Miranda, and now you don’t anymore. I worry. Everyone needs someone.”

“Do you?”

“I am not human,” Gideon reminded him, “I only require routine maintenance for my systems.”

“Liar,” Rip called her out. He frowned as he realized something, “Is that what you’ve been doing? Scoping out my possible love interests and deciding whether they were good enough for me?” Gideon refused to dignify that with an answer. “And after all this time, you still haven’t figured it out?”

“Well then enlighten me,” Gideon snapped, her patience had run out by now.

“I need to see you,” Rip instructed her silently. Gideon pulled up her holographic avatar, shedding blue light into the otherwise dark room. Rip tilted his face as he considered her, “For someone so smart, you tend to miss the obvious a lot of times.”

“Captain?” Gideon couldn’t process what he was trying to say. Normally he never had to say much at all, Gideon could extrapolate. But this time, she couldn’t formulate what he was hinting at.

“You must have run many different analyses on me, and observations. Let me guess: who I talk to the most, whom I’m most tactile with, you monitored my heart rate and whether my pupils dilated.”

“I also recorded the number and smiles and laughs you gave. As well as measured the endorphins in your body,” Gideon informed him, for accuracy’s sake.

Rip hummed, “Of course you did. And was any of it conclusive?”

“It would be more helpful if you actually spent more time around people. I’m afraid it’s very likely the data was skewed, which is why I arrived at misinformed conclusions every time.”

“I think you were wrong because you missed the obvious,” Rip looked at her intently, “Did it ever occur to you that whenever I was alone, I was actually with you? That I enjoy reading in the quiet with you giving me status updates on the team? That you’re the only one that actually makes me smile and laugh on a regular basis? I can’t say I’m tactile with you, but I did hug and kiss you the one time you had a physical form in my mind.”

“I’m not sure what you are trying to say,” Gideon repeated. There was a connection missing here. Something wasn’t adding up properly.

Rip sighed, “Gideon, run your tests on me now. Test my heart rate, or endorphins or pupils or whatever.”

Gideon scanned him as he asked. His heart rate was slightly fast, it could be related to the stress of the mission from today. His pupils were dilated, but it was also extremely dark in the room. Endorphin levels were at a pleasant level. And all this meant…what? Gideon could not give her Captain an answer he wanted. She didn’t understand. It was not something she enjoyed.

“It’s you, Gideon,” Rip finally answered the unspoken question, “You are my someone.”

Gideon heard the words, but they still weren’t processing properly. It couldn’t be possible. Not when he was a human and she was, well not-human.

“You are simply misreading the Captain-AI link. Humans need the companionship of other humans. Someone who will always-”

“You have always been there for me, Gideon,” Rip told her, “Through the death of my family, turning rogue with me, saving time. You’ve been by my side through it all. Who else could I need? Or want?”

“You deserve better than me.” Once again the words were uttered before Gideon could fully process the weight of Rip’s confession. But she knew they were true.

“No,” Rip shook his head, “I don’t. You are exactly what I deserve and want. And I wouldn’t have it any other way, Gideon. You’re my someone.” Gideon could not respond to that. There was still so much to process. Rip waited in silence. When he realized she wouldn’t talk again, he prompted, “Well?”

“What?”

Rip gave a nervous chuckle, “I basically just upended all my feelings for you. Would you like to respond with any confessions of your own?”

“On what?”

“On your feelings, for me,” Rip directed, as specifically as he could.

Clearly, Gideon was experiencing some gaps in clarity or communication. He always did this with her, treated her as a person, an actual human.

“I don’t know,” Gideon responded truthfully. She had spent so much time analyzing human behavior, trying to understand them better and draw her conclusions to better help them. She missed all the obvious signs about her Captain’s feelings for her. And now, she realized that for everything she had learned about humans, she had no idea how she felt. If she could feel. If that flaw in her code wasn’t a flaw and she – it was too much to process. “I’m having trouble analyzing the situation and my processors can’t handle-”

“It’s alright,” Rip soothed her, “I shouldn’t have pressed. It’s perfectly fine, whether you do or you don’t. As long as you’ll stay with me.”

“Always, Captain,” Gideon promised easily, “I will always be here.”

“Okay, then nothing else matters. Like I said, I don’t need a romantic relationship. All that matters is I have you,” Rip reiterated. Slowly he tucked himself under his covers and laid his head on his pillows. Gideon turned off her avatar to give him some peace and quiet.

“Captain, I-” she what exactly? She didn’t know. It was an utterly strange sensation, reminiscent of when the Oculus was destroyed and she lost all information of the timeline.

“It’s okay, Gideon,” Rip soothed her as he closed his eyes, “Tell me when you figure it out. We’ve got plenty of time.”

 

* * *

 

When he woke from his slumber, Rip found a single rose laying on the pillow next to him. In the dim lighting he could make out red and blue petals. It seemed Gideon had finally figured herself out.

**Author's Note:**

> Red roses mean love. Blue roses mean unattainable/impossible. Feel free to interpret the ending as you will


End file.
